U.S. Department of Labor headquarters in Washington. A new survey by HSBC found that nearly 20 percent of Americans believe they won't be able to afford retirement.Bloomberg

Here's a depressing thought: Nearly 1 in 5 Americans believe they will never afford retirement, painting a bleaker picture of their future than the rest of the world, according to a survey as reported in CNN Money.

The HSBC report shines a light on sustained financial hardship and new working habits despite the world economy returning to health. The report surveyed 16,000 people in 15 countries around the world, assessing their retirement and savings outlook, according to CNN Money.

About 18 percent of American workers surveyed believed they could never afford to retire, second worst only to Britain, where 19 percent of the workforce answered the same.

Worldwide, about 12 percent of workers say they would toil away to the end.

Meanwhile, Brazil had the best rate, with just 5 percent of those surveyed saying they would never stop working.